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Thread: Inspirations

  1. #1

    Inspirations

    Pranams,

    Slokas and Verses have always been a point of reference, meditation and inspiration for me. I thought I would post a verse from Gita and if other members post what is inspiring them in their sadhana it will be nice to read and also be inspired, there is a wealth of immeasurable verses contained in Vedic literature. I had the idea today and thought perhaps a necklace of verse from all sources may make a good thread.

    I will start with a verse that inspired me this morning from Sri Bhagavad Gita

    http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/verse-06-03.html
    Last edited by markandeya 108 dasa; 24 September 2014 at 01:40 PM.

  2. #2
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    Re: Inspirations

    Namaste,

    Often times, these days, and in internet forums such as these, there are people of differing philosophies participating. In many cases, one has scanty knowledge about some acharya, if the Acharya belongs to the 'other camp' . 'Thiruvaimozhi' - a foremost work by Swami Nammazhwar (the foremost among the 12 Azhwars, born of Vellala - agriculturalist family), speaks of this situation in one of its pasurams. This pasuram (verse) speaks that it is easy to dignify/glorify bhagwan, however it is difficult to do so when it comes to the 'bhagawatha' (devotee) because as human beings we get swayed by their 'human' nature and stature. It is considered a profound 'apachara' or sin to look down upon any great devotee of the Lord on the basis of his birth, knowledge, activities, wealth, place where he stays, his relatives and their actions, etc.

    Therefore we should all exercise great caution in speaking about and referencing about a great devotee of the Lord. The following verse is the source for the above: (From http://ponnadi.blogspot.com/2013/10/...charya-18.html) -

    bhagavath vishayam pOlE vAy vanthapadi chollavoNNAthiRE bhAgavatha vishayam.

    பகவத் விஷயம் போலே வாய் வந்தபடி சொல்லவொண்ணாதிறே பாகவத விஷயம்.


    AzhwAr's glories are unlimited

    bhAgavatha vishayam (matters) is not as easy as bhagavath vishayam to understand and glorify.

    Translator's note: For bhagavath vishayam every one is qualified due to their eternal relationship with bhagavAn. bhagavAn's divine names can also be recited in any way (see next entry). But to glorify bhAgavathas, one must truly understand the position of bhAgavathas and properly glorify them. Often times, one may consider bhAgavathas as mere mortal beings. Just because, they also eat, sleep, etc as others, they are not given due respect. But AzhwArs have glorified bhAgavathas in exemplified way. A devotee of bhagavAn must be properly understood and should not be discriminated based on his birth, knowledge, activities, wealth, place where he stays, his relatives and their actions, etc. Considering a bhAgavatha to be lower based on any of these parameters is considered as bhAgavatha apachAram. Thus, to glorify bhAgavathas, one must have proper knowledge about them in first place.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

  3. #3

    Re: Inspirations

    || om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya ||




    eshA brAmhI sthitI pArtha nainAm prApya vimurhyati |
    sthitvAsyAmantakAle api bramhanirvANamuchyatI || BG 2.72 ||

    This (as explained in verses 2.63 - 2.71), dear son of PruthA (pArtha), is the state of Brahman (brAmhI sthitI). In this state one (the purush) never gets deluded or entangled, attached or attracted to mundane. At the time of death also, such a being attains the state called Bramha-nirvANa -- ultimate give-up, relinquishing all desires, hankerings, and just lets go of it all.
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  4. #4

    Re: Inspirations

    Namaste

    If you notice I like those little packages or packets that BhagvAn makes for us in the shAstra (scriptures). They are sort of complete and can be just taken to an island. Here is one - below (amAnitvam adambhitvam...), and so was the last one above (esha brAmhI sthitI pArtha....)

    Bhagvad GItA 13.8-12

    amānitvam adambhitvam
    ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam
    ācāryopāsanaṁ śaucaṁ
    sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ

    indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam
    anahaṅkāra eva ca
    janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-
    duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam

    asaktir anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ
    putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu
    nityaṁ ca sama-cittatvam
    iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu

    mayi cānanya-yogena
    bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī
    vivikta-deśa-sevitvam
    aratir jana-saṁsadi

    adhyātma-jāna-nityatvaṁ
    tattva-jānārtha-darśanam
    etaj jānam iti proktam
    ajānaṁ yad ato nyathā


    Word for word:


    amānitvam humility; adambhitvam pridelessness; ahiṁsā nonviolence; kṣāntiḥ tolerance; ārjavam simplicity; ācārya-upāsanam approaching a bona fide spiritual master; śaucam cleanliness; sthairyam steadfastness; ātma-vinigrahaḥ self-control; indriya-artheṣu in the matter of the senses; vairāgyam renunciation; anahaṅkāraḥ being without false egoism; eva certainly; ca also; janma of birth; mṛtyu death; jarā old age; vyādhi and disease; duḥkha of the distress; doṣa the fault; anudarśanam observing; asaktiḥ being without attachment; anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ being without association; putra for son; dāra wife; gṛha-ādiṣu home, etc; nityam constant; ca also; sama-cittatvam equilibrium; iṣṭa the desirable; aniṣṭa and undesirable; upapattiṣu having obtained; mayi unto Me; ca also; ananya-yogena by unalloyed devotional service; bhaktiḥ devotion; avyabhicāriṇī without any break; vivikta to solitary; deśa places; sevitvam aspiring; aratiḥ being without attachment; jana-saṁsadi to people in general; adhyātma pertaining to the self; jāna in knowledge; nityatvam constancy; tattva-jāna of knowledge of the truth; artha for the object; darśanam philosophy; etat all this; jānam knowledge; iti thus; proktam declared; ajānam ignorance; yat that which; ataḥ from this; anyathā other.


    Translation:


    Humility; pridelessness; nonviolence; tolerance; simplicity; approaching a bona fide spiritual master; cleanliness; steadiness; self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification; absence of false ego; the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; detachment; freedom from entanglement with children, wife, home and the rest; even-mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me; aspiring to live in a solitary place; detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization; and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance.
    Last edited by ameyAtmA; 06 September 2014 at 06:50 PM. Reason: Added a conversational note / personal comment on top so it is not a case of cut-paste
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  5. #5

    Re: Inspirations

    Pranams

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtaP6DHawTQ

    I find this so beautiful, simple, profound and inspiring

    Ys

    Md

  6. #6

    Re: Inspirations


  7. #7

    Re: Inspirations

    Pranams

    In the first place we must keep in mind the fact that man is never literal in the expression of his ideas, except in matters most trivial. Very often man's words are not a language at all, but merely a local gesture of the dumb. They may indicate, but do not express his thoughts. The more vital his thoughts the more have his words to be explained by the context of his life. Those who seek to know his meaning by the aid of the dictionary only technically reach the house, for they are stopped by the outside wall and find no entrance to the hall. This is the reason why the teachings of our greater prophets give rise to endless disputations when we try to understand them by following their words and not by realising them in our own lives. The men who are cursed with the gift of the literal mind are the unfortunate ones who are always busy with the nets and neglect the fishing.

    Rabindranath Tagore

    Ys

    Md

  8. #8

    Re: Inspirations


  9. #9
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    Re: Inspirations

    Namaste,

    This is a beneficial thread with a noble purpose. I hope that more members will find their way here to be inspired and to share.

    At the moment my favorite quote, one with a mysterious history, is in my signature, but I reproduce it below in case I change my signature again. It appears in several texts in slightly different versions. The version below seems to be the most common. It appears in both Vaiṣṇava (Viṣṇu devotee) and Śaiva (Śiva devotee) writings in the context of discussions of worship. It answers the question, which flowers are the best to offer to God?

    ahiṁsā prathamaṁ puṣpaṁ puṣpaṁ indriya nigrahaḥ |
    sarva bhūta dayā puṣpaṁ kṣamā puṣpaṁ viśeṣataḥ |
    jñāna puṣpaṁ tapaḥ puṣpaṁ śānti puṣpaṁ thathaiva ca |
    satyam aṣṭa vidhaṁ puṣpaṁ viṣṇoḥ prītikaraṁ bhavet ||

    “Nonviolence is the first flower, [then] the flower of restraint of the senses, the flower of compassion for all beings, the special flower that is forbearance, the flower of knowledge, the flower of austerity, likewise the flower of tranquility, [and] truth; eight kinds of flowers are dear to Viṣṇu.”

    Some versions of this verse have dhyāna (meditation) instead of śānti (peace, tranquility) or, less often, dhyāna instead of jñāna (knowledge). The Śaiva version naturally has śivāya (Śiva) in place of viṣṇoḥ (Viṣṇu) and also dhyāna instead of śānti.

    The earliest Vaiṣṇava text in which it occurs is perhaps the Prapanna Pārijāta (at 5.28) of Nadadoor Ammal (1165-1275). Then it appears in Śrī Vedānta Deśika's Rahasyatraya-sāra. I'm still compiling information about the history of the verse. If anyone sees it in a medieval text, please let me know where you saw it.

    There are many things I love about this teaching. It is not the property of one tradition. It tells us that virtue is the highest form of worship. What good is our worship if we remain self-centered, spiteful individuals? (See, for example, Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.24, which tells us that we cannot reach the goal of realization unless we turn away from wickedness.) In teaching us virtues that are dear to the Lord, it reminds us that God is good. As Śrī Rāmānujācārya taught in his Gītā Bhāṣya, the Lord is a "great ocean of countless auspicious attributes" and a "treasure-house of limitless perfections." It reminds us that ahiṁsā or nonviolence is the best offering to God, just as the Mahābhārata twice tells us that it is our highest duty. It teaches a boundless compassion for all suffering beings, an important teaching of the Bhagavad Gītā also. It calls us to transcend our self-centered instincts and practice kṣamā, which is patience, forbearance, and forgiveness when others seek to insult or injure us and an absence of the desire to retaliate. I think one way of looking at the list is to see it as perhaps a list of key virtues taught in the Bhagavad Gītā. I've managed to find each of the eight virtues therein, although sometimes in slightly different words.

    praṇām
    Last edited by anucarh; 22 September 2014 at 07:56 PM. Reason: to correct punctuation
    śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ

  10. #10
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    Re: Inspirations

    Namaste,

    Whereas I admire learning about verses which give us something unique to ponder over and provide an opportunity to grow, it would be even more beneficial if the members could relate to us as to how the verse helped them grow, how did they get inspired, in what way they changed their lives. A personal touch with some practical application in our lives always enhances the beauty of verses. At a personal level, how something changes one's life would be the source of inspiration, otherwise people tend to admire the poetry and move on. Making something part of our daily lives takes a big effort and an inspirational verse may help that effort. So, how a verse helped in someone's day to day life with some practical examples would go a long way in making others connect with the inspirational component of the verse. It will help others to latch on to to the sublime; else the purpose of the exercise gets lost in mere admiration of poetry. Just a thought, in case more is to be made out of this thread. If however, the intent is to bring to the table beautiful verses and let those interested in exploring it more do it on their own, then the current format serves the purpose.

    Pranam.

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